What If
by GameFreakimage
Summary: A What If scenario about what could have been if Michael had been accepted by his grandfather and if Lyn's mother and father were to be acknowledged by her grandfather. Contains slight spoilers for content to later be revealed in Rekka No Ken Retold. This will be a short story spanning only a few chapters (At least as planned for now).
1. Chapter 1: What If - Michael

**Author's Notes: **Hey, all! This is just a random idea that sprouted in my head while I was out at Lifetime and decided that I just had to put it down on paper. By the description, this fic will be MUCH more idealistic and positive with both character's family relationships then in the actual canon. I intend for this to be only several chapters, so expect a lot of timeskips so I can get to the intended scenes faster. Of course, that may not necessarily be the case and I'll end up making this thing longer than I intended if inspiration or scenes hit me with more ideas/relationships to flesh out.

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><p>What If: Michael<p>

When the marquess of Araphen first heard the news of his son and lover being pregnant, he was beside himself with fury. Blame it on the cultural norms he was raised on when he was a child, but bastard children were looked upon in disdain because of their perceived desire to be born before it was appropriate, along with the many examples throughout Elibian history of those very same children growing into ambitious and power-hungry adults that raised armies to conquer nations. As if to add insult to the already grievous injury, this had all transpired while his son was visiting Caelin to court the marquess's own daughter. This insult from his son would never be forgotten.

However, that did not remain the case. Over the following months, both the marquess's son and his new daughter-in-law gradually melted the ice that he had used to incase his heart. Though the marquess tried stubbornly to remain fixed on his ways, he was eventually proven wrong by his new, ever-growing family. A family that only grew larger once his grandson was born. Looking into the newborn's eyes, the marquess could not find it in himself to hate the child, experiencing the same mixture of happiness and doubt when his own son was born. This child would prove himself to surpass whatever examples history had remembered.

As the years began to steadily pass by and the seasons changed, the child began to grow from a newborn to a toddler. But unlike so many other children, he was patient, well behaved, intelligent, and shy to a fault. But nevertheless, everyone that resided within the castle treated the young boy as the greatest treasure in all the world.

"Grandpa?" the young child asked as he looked up to the marquess, who was busy writing a letter to another member of the aristocracy several territories away.

"Hm?" the marquess grunted as he put down his quill pen and turned around in his seat, "Ah, Michael! What is the matter, little one?"

"I want…never mind!" the young Michael hesitated as he began to turn around to leave his grandfather alone.

"Hey!" the marquess commanded, "Come back here! What were you going to say?" It struck the marquess as strange how his adorable grandson suddenly changed what he was going to say, as if he thought it would be either too bothersome or unimportant.

"Um…" Michael stalled as he took to looking at his feet, "It can wait…"

"Come now," the marquess chuckled as he pulled himself off his seat, "I'm not doing anything important right now. Go ahead; ask away. Tell Grandpa what you wanted to say."

"I wanted to go into the library…" Michael mumbled to the floor as he tried to keep from making eye contact with his grandfather.

The marquess sighed to himself as he let out a small chuckle, "Is that all? Of course I can take you there!"

"Really?!" Michael exclaimed as he shot his head up to his grandfather, a look of excitement in his eyes, almost making them appear to be sparkling.

"Of course!" the marquess nodded as he picked up Michael into his arms, "You never have to feel like a bother when you want to go to the library. I think it's great that you want to go there without being told to!"

"Can we go now?" Michael asked his grandfather as he began to squirm with excitement in his grandfather's arms.

"Of course!" the marquess told him as he lightly threw his grandson into the air before catching him, "Come now, and let's be on our way!"

The marquess wouldn't be the first one to say that the castle library was a large one, nor would he be the first to brag that its selection of books was the finest in the land. But one most definitely could read one book ever day for the rest of their life and never finish reading all of them. The marquess would know, he tried doing that in his younger years before he became betrothed to his wife. Bless her poor departed soul.

"Which book do you want?" the marquess asked, thinking his grandson would want the book with the most pictures or the biggest words. Both of which he would have to gather the support of several castle staff to locate.

"I want…" Michael thought aloud as he tried to recall what the name of the book was, "The Scouring book!"

"The Scouring?" the marquess repeated, "That's the legend of the eight heroes and how they saved the world from dragons. Why would you want that one? Surely you've heard the legends from bards and your parents?"

"I wanna read it myself!" Michael assured his grandfather as he shook his head furiously.

The marquess laughed loudly as he walked over to a table near some of the bookshelves and placed his grandson in one of the seats. "Very well," he told him, "Since you want such a popular book, it won't take too long for Grandpa to find."

It took several minutes of investigation and examination, but the marquess finally found the book his grandson so desperately wanted to read tucked away between two books that were biographies on the lives of two of the war's heroes; the Archsage Athos and the Enigmatic Bramimond. Taking the book off its shelf, the marquess carefully blew away the layers of dust that had slowly accumulated over the cover while in its period of disuse. The words were almost completely faded, but the marquess could still make out its title; _The Legend of the Ending Winter and the Eight Heroes._

Flipping through the pages to briefly skim the contents before handing it over to his grandson, the marquess was surprised to find that there were few pictures within the pages, leaving almost all of the book to recounting the details and events of almost one thousand years ago. He didn't know how much fun Michael would have with the book, but he was sure that he would tire of it fast. Closing the book with his left hand, the marquess walked back over to his grandson and gently placed the book down in front of him.

With great eagerness, Michael opened up the book to its first page, and with quite the shock to the marquess, began to read the story, sometimes stopping to pronounce longer words aloud, occasionally stopping to look up at the marquess to see if he was pronouncing them correctly. He was correct almost all of the time. "Where did you learn to read like that?" the marquess asked him, "Did Camael and Gabriel teach you?"

"No," Michael shook his head as he looked back down to the story, "Jeigan taught me! But he didn't start teaching me until he caught me reading in the library by myself…"

"Jeigan?" the marquess repeated, "My brother did always enjoy surprising me… But to think you can read at such a young age, and so well too! Aren't you the little prodigy?!"

Michael looked up to his grandfather with a huge beaming smile, "Jeigan told me you'd be surprised! He also told me to always ask for someone before coming into the library…"

"Which reminds me," the marquess began to say as he remembered something, "Aren't you still too small to reach up for the knob by yourself? How did you get in?"

"The door was unlocked!" Michael replied with a smile, "Jeigan forgot to close it when he went in and I came in a little while after!"

"I fear I may have to get old Martin to get out of retirement early it seems…" the marquess muttered to himself.

"What?" Michael asked, not sure what his grandfather had said, but still just hearing him say something.

"Nothing!" the marquess sang as he ruffled his grandson's hair, "But what do you say to having someone teach you things, hm? You can read books even when you aren't in the library!"

"I think you'll have to ask Mommy and Daddy first, Grandpa!" Michael told his grandfather, "But they don't know I can read yet…"

"How about we surprise them at dinner time tonight?" the marquess asked his grandson, "You can read from this very book to them before we eat."

"Yeah!" Michael agreed as he nodded his head furiously, "And they told me they had something important to tell me at dinner, too!"

"It seems dinner shall be lively tonight then, it seems!" the marquess smiled.

Later that night, two parents were shocked and awed to find their three year old son was already able to read. And a young child and a grandfather were surprised and elated with the news that he would soon be a big brother.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>I realize that having a three year old being able to read at any level of proficiency dangles on people's suspension of disbelief enough as is, but I hope you all can excuse that. Plus, Michael (In this timeline he doesn't have Mark as his first name) isn't the run-of-the-mill kid.

I felt a little warm and fuzzy writing this, especially when I think about the canon of my story. Hope you guys will still act surprised when Jeigan's relationship to the marquess is revealed in the fic! *sweatdrop*


	2. Chapter 2: What If - Lyn

**Author's Notes: **Here's part two! Now for a little Lyn action. Though I'm surprised to see it's mostly her parent's interacting in this. Oh well, it comes with the mystery of two characters that only exist posthumously in canon. I feel like the next part will be amazing. After all, Lyn and Michael will have their first meeting!

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><p>What If: Lyn<p>

This young girl's story, much like Michael's, began with her parents. Her mother was the only daughter and heiress of Caelin, a close friend to Araphen. Her father, however, was the future chieftain of the Lorca tribe, one of the major tribes of Sacae, a country made up of nomadic groups.

They met on that fateful day when Madelyn, the marquess of Caelin's daughter, decided to go to Bulgar, the trading capital of Sacae, on a flight of fancy, something she often did because of her youth. Her father, Hassar, was in the city as a merchant, selling the carved furs and pottery of his tribe in order to buy medicine for them to use during the winter months. It was love at first sight. Over the course of a month, the two found themselves inseparable.

But with their love came two problems: the fate of the Lorca tribe since their future leader wished to be with his beloved and his beloved's father, whom as the marquess of Caelin, would either frown upon their union or wish for them to stay in Caelin and rule once he ceded leadership over to his son-in-law.

It took several months to convince her father of their love, but eventually, Hausen gave his blessing to the pair, and within the year, they had two weddings; one official ceremony in Caelin and another in Sacae, in the old tradition. They would spend half of the year in Sacae and the other half in Caelin. That way, neither territory nor tribe would be bereft of a leader. Within the first year of their marriage, they were expecting their first child.

To the joy of both, it was a girl, named Lyndis in memory of Madelyn's late mother, who died well into her early childhood. She inherited her mother's looks and her father's love for the plains. With her parent's tender embrace and two whole families to support her and watch over her growth, the young girl grew into an adorable little angel.

And the seasons and the years passed.

"Mom!" a young Lyn shouted as she ran across the plains of Sacae as she returned from a small hunting trip with her father, "Mom, look what we caught!"

An older woman, almost the spitting image of Lyn, except her hair was brown, looked up in response to her name from reading a letter as her daughter jumped into her arms, "Oh! Did you now? Did you have fun hunting with your father?"

"Tons of fun!" Lyn exclaimed as she nuzzled herself more into her mother's embrace.

"It was indeed a fun trip," an older man laughed as he stopped next to Madelyn. His appearance was rugged and wild, but his blue eyes were like a window reflecting a strong will. His long forest green hair fell past his shoulders as he dragged a carcass of a red fox, "You should have come along. Lyndis would have been thrilled to have us all there."

"Sorry," Madelyn apologized as she hugged her daughter more tightly, "But I was waiting for my letter from Father. You know he always keeps a strict schedule on when he sends his letters."

"Ah, yes…" Hassan nodded in understanding as he closed his eyes, "I can see him now; crying over his letter as he pleads for his adorable daughter and granddaughter to come back and pay him a visit. He can't last more than a month without seeing either of you."

"Now, now," Madelyn sighed, "You know how my Father gets. Half his letter was just him saying how much he misses us all. You included, by the way. The other half on the other hand, refers to some political duties we shall have to fulfil once we return to Caelin."

"Uh oh," Hassan sighed as he laid the fox down and took a seat next to her, "What is it this time? Not more unrest or bandit problems again I hope."

"Oh no!" Madelyn assured him as she shook her head, "Nothing that serious. It's just that the marquess of Araphen is going to be visiting in a few months and he's going to be bringing his grandson with him. My father was hoping we would be there in time for Lyndis to play with him. The boy's around her age as well, being seven years old."

"Ugh…!" Lyn groaned as she squirmed in her mother's arms, "I don't wanna play with a stranger just because Grandpa wants me too!"

"Ahahahaha!" Hassan laughed, "See? Our daughter knows the score! She doesn't want to mix with the fuddy duddy nobility! She wants to play and frolic in the sun!"

"I wanna hunt with you, Dad!" Lyn corrected him, "I wanna, I wanna, I wanna!"

"But you're still too young to hold a bow on your own," her father pointed out, "You'll end up hitting a hunter in the arse with an arrow. Trust me, nothing is worse than a Sacaean hunter with a bow in his bum." Lyn giggled like a toddler as her father's joke.

"Hassan!" Madelyn scolded him, "What did we agree on regarding language around Lyndis?! Must you really break that agreement so soon?!"

"Relax," Hassan told him wife as he waved a dismissing hand her way, "She's heard way worse while on hunts. Hunters don't watch their language when their quarry can't understand them…or are too far away for them to hear."

"No more hunting trips for you, young lady," Madelyn told her daughter with a stern tone as she waved a finger at her, "You're going to start staying in view of the village more often."

"But Mom!" Lyn whined, "I don't like playing with the grandmas! They always tell me to play with the grass or try to show me how to cook!"

"Cooking helps you find a husband!" Madelyn told her daughter, "You'll need those skills later on!"

"First of all," Hassan interrupted the two, "She's still young. She can start learning at any time. Second, under no circumstances, will Lyndis ever go searching for a man. I'll make sure she meets the perfect young man myself. Of course, no such man exists in this world." His tone was slightly angry as he spoke, as if imagining his daughter betrothed to some random young man gave him nothing but pain.

"Last time I checked, we both fell for each other. And my Father didn't approve," Madelyn countered, "Why should Lyndis be any different?"

"Because she's my daughter!" Hassan struck back, "And with Mother Earth and Father Sky as my witnesses, I shall never hand her over to anyone who I don't deem fit for her!"

"Mom," Lyn grabbed at her mother's dress as she watched her father yell at the sky, "Dad's scaring me…"

At those words, Hassan quickly shot back to his more easygoing persona, "What?! I'm not scary! Nope, no sir, no way! Only smiles from me!" To prove his point, Hassan wore the biggest and goofiest smile he could possible conjure up.

Lyn responded by burying her face inside her mother's clothes as she began to sob, "Dad's scary!"

"Scary?!" Hassan repeated as he fell to his knees in defeat, "Me? Scary? No way. I can't. My daughter… Scared...of me…!"

"I think you broke your father, dearie…" Madelyn said with an awkward laugh as she tried to pull Lyn's face out of her chest, "Come on now, it's time to stop tormenting your father!"

"But I love doing that…!" Lyn whispered into her ear before shooting her face back into her mother's clothes.

"Our daughter has you wrapped around her little fingers," Madelyn told her husband as she shot him a look of pity and disappointment.

"So she's daddy's Little Sacaean Princess," Hassan admitted, "You're just as guilty as I am."

"I'll have you know she's a Little Caelin Princess!" Madelyn countered, "Don't forget where she was born!"

"But that was only because we had to delay our trip back to Sacae…" Hassan muttered to himself.

"What was that, darling?" Madelyn asked in a threatening tone, "Don't forget, for a pampered noble, I adjusted to life on the plains extremely quickly. Do I need to show you my skill with a sword? You more than anyone should know how good I am, teacher."

"Eh…" Hassan said as he struggled for some witty remark, "No thank you, I don't want to end up black and blue. Lyn, honey, maybe you want to say something to Mommy?"

"Both of you should stop fighting," Lyn told them both before jumping out of her mother's arms, rolling in the grass before jumping back onto her feet several feet away, "I'm going to go for a swim in the lake down by the hill!"

"Be careful!" Madelyn shouted out to her daughter as she watched her run off, "I don't want you getting hurt!"

"When has she ever gotten hurt?" Hassan asked her. He most certainly didn't remember Lyn ever getting any injuries worth worrying over.

Madelyn gave her husband an evil stare, "Would you like me to remind you of the cuts and scrapes she's gotten every time she's gone hunting with you?"

"But those weren't my fault!" Hassan quickly told her in self-defense, "You can't blame me for that!"

Madelyn ignored her husband as she went back to reading her Father's letter, "If I remember correctly, Camael is that boy's father. He was one of my suitors…or was supposed to be. I wonder how he met his wife… As far as I know, she was a commoner."

"He was one of you what?" Hassan asked for clarification, knowing full well what she had said. He knew Madelyn had had suitors lined up at her door competing for her hand in marriage, but that didn't mean he liked the idea of any of those men meeting her again. They had each come from two different worlds, but they had come to understand and love each other's worlds as much as they loved their own. They just didn't show it as much.

"Oh, don't give me that look!" Madelyn told her husband, "You know you're the only man for me in my life. Well, besides my Father that is."

"Let's keep it that way" Hassan pouted.

Madelyn giggled to herself, "I take it you don't want a son then?"

"Hell no!" Hassan replied with great passion.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>I know it isn't Rekka No ken, but I'm currently over 3000 words into 15B. I plan on making it longer than my usual chapters. Maybe around 8000 words. Hopefully it will be ready by Thursday. If not, Friday for sure.


	3. Chapter 3: What If - Boy Meets Girl

**Author's Notes: **Here it is, the first upload of 2015! And a long time coming too... Now as for the first story of What If? (This one between Lyn and Michael), I want it to go on for about 10 chapters. But we'll see how that goes. I have other stories in store that won't be connected to this first story in any way. So whatever ending it has, will stay that ending. No Ifs Ands or Buts.

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><p>What If: Boy Meets Girl I<p>

It was one of those times. A time when the marquess of Araphen took a visit to Caelin to deepen their countries relationship to ensure mutual development and comradery. But this visit would be slightly different than the ones from the past. One very big...well, little reason.

"Grandfather?" a young Michael asked as he knocked on the door to the marquess's private bedchamber, causing the marquess's ears to perk up towards the noise, "Can I come in?"

"Come right on in, little one!" the marquess called out in the direction of his door as he put a pack of robes into his bag, "No need to be shy!"

Quietly and slowly opening the door, Michael nervously walked into the room. He was playing with his shirt, bundling up the end and letting it fall back into place before repeating the process again, "…Do I have to go with you on this trip?"

The marquess knew this would happen. Michael was so very shy, especially for a child his age. He still remembered the time when Michael tried to play with other children in the city surrounding the castle. He had come running back inside, tears in his eyes, saying that the other children had called him 'weird' and 'creepy'. The marquess had told Michael about Hausen's granddaughter and ever since, Michael been trying to drop as many not-so-subtle signals of his reluctance of travelling to Caelin as he could.

"Now, now, little one," the marquess sighed as he picked up Michael into his arms, "You know this meeting is very important to our country. Now I know you aren't keen on playing with any children after what happened last time, but let me cut you a deal; if you truly don't like playing with Lyndis, then I won't bring you on future outings to Caelin. Does that sound reasonable to you?"

Michael bit his lip as he took refuge deep within his thoughts. This was a tempting offer his grandfather was waving in front of him. "...Do you promise?" Michael finally spoke up, not fully convinced.

"I promise," his grandfather promised as he held up his pinkie finger for Michael to wrap his own around, "I swear on my position as marquess."

"O.K.!" Michael beamed as he wrapped his pinkie around his grandfather's, "It's a pinkie promise!"

"Brother!" a small voice called out from the hallway as the both of them took to looking in the direction of the door, "Big brother, where are you?!"

"Uriel!" another voice called out, though this one was more feminine and older, "Stop running all over the place like that, you'll fall and hurt yourself!"

"No!" the small voice yelled out in defiance as the sound of feet running on the floor grew louder, "Grandpa, do you know where Big brother is?!"

"He's right in here, angel!" the marquess called out as he walked over to the door and opened it, letting the small blur running headfirst into the room before colliding into Michael, sending them both to the ground in a loud thud.

"Ow…!" Michael whined as he tried to lift his sister off of him, "Uriel, get off!"

"Play with me!" Uriel ordered her older brother as she began to wave her arms in the air and flail for all she was worth.

'_Dear me! What have I done?' _the marquess asked himself as Uriel's flailing sent Michael back down onto the ground.

"Uriel!" the older, more feminine voice called out again as she ran over to the door the marquess was still holding open, "Stop…ha…running….so fast…"

"Out of breath, Gabriel?" the marquess asked politely, "Seems like Uriel is more of an active little tot than Michael was at that age."

"That's…because…you dote on her so," Gabriel gasped out as she leaned on the wall for support, "She's much more difficult to handle when she knows her grandfather lets her do whatever her little heart fancies!"

"But that's the role of a grandparent!" the marquess defended himself as he tried to look as innocent as possible, "The parents are supposed to teach and discipline their children and the grandparents are supposed to spoil them rotten! It's a timeless system that has proven to both be accepted and successful with every generation!"

"I think the both of us have different definitions for the word 'successful'…" Gabriel sighed as she walked over and scooped Uriel into her arms so her son could pick himself up from the floor. "And you, young lady," Gabriel began to scold Uriel, "Don't distract your brother when he's getting ready to leave with grandfather."

"He is going with you, correct?" Gabriel asked after a short pause in which she glared at her father-in-law with a dark gaze. She didn't take too kindly to Michael's last little fiasco with other children that didn't understand him and she most definitely didn't want to have her son experience that kind of thing a second time. To add even more fuel to the potential fire, Gabriel was known to have an amazing temper when angered. It took a woman of extreme fortitude and upbringing to bring even Camael under complete control.

"Y-Yes, of course…" the marquess hurriedly informed her as he pulled at the collar of his robes. Her stare was beating down on his very soul.

"Its fine, Mother," Michael sighed as he stood up, "Grandfather and I have already come to an agreement. Since he's going so far as to make a deal with me, I'll honor his wish and go with him."

Gabriel smiled as he bent down and patted her son's head, "Ever the serious one, you are. I still remember when you were a baby and depended on me for everything…"

"Mother, please, not now…" Michael begged her as his face began to turn red.

"What?" Gabriel asked her son, "Can't a mother reminisce and tell her son about what he was like when he was younger?"

"I think all children can agree they never want to hear their parents speaking about times that can be potentially embarrassing for them," a new voice added a the four turned towards the open door, with Camael sticking his head out from one of the sides. A full five seconds of awkward silence passed before he spoke up again.

"I finished packing everything Michel would need so I came to find you all. I was just looking for a place to step in. Did I come in too early?"

"Let's just leave already…" Michael sighed as he began to walk out of the room.

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><p>Lyn watched in avid fascination as she saw various numbers of servants running from place to place trying to get the last of the preparations for the marquess of Araphen's visit. From what she had gathered from listening in on conversations, his grandson would also be joining him on his outing and her grandfather wanted to make a good impression on him. Which would explain why he had sent for Lyn to come home early this year.<p>

"This is stupid…" Lyn muttered to herself as she kicked her feet in the air while she sat on her grandfather's throne, "Why do I have to come back early just so I can play with someone. I can play with the kids in Sacae whenever I want to…"

While Lyn had only been in Caelin for three days, to make this whole ordeal even worse for her, her grandfather didn't have much time to spend with her on account of helping with the preparations as well. A knight by the name of Eagler had come by and had offered to keep Lyn company, but some squires under his charge had gotten into some trouble and he had to go sort them out. Something about one of them flirting a little too strongly with a noble's daughter… Or was it that the other slapped him upside the head in response to said flirting? Lyn didn't know and rankly, she didn't care to remember.

"Why the long face?" a voice asked her from behind the throne as Lyn looked up in surprise to see her grandfather standing over her, "You look terribly depressed, my dear."

"I'm bored!" Lyn complained without holding back. She was raised to be honest and never tell a lie. But in a manner of speaking, even that had its own downsides.

"Oh, don't be like that, my dear Lyndis," the marquess sighed he walked around the throne and knelt down in front of his granddaughter, "You'll soon have someone to play with. Just be patient. Surely you have to be patient when hunting out on the Plains, correct?"

"But I'm at least doing something when I'm out on the Plains!" Lyn continued to whine, "I can always watch the animal but here I have nothing to do except sit around…"

"I believe I have someone with me that can alleviate you of that boredom, my dear," a new voice laughed as the marquess and Lyn turned to face another old man entering the throne room with a little boy shadowing behind him.

"Ah, Sir Mark!" Lyn's grandfather stood to attention as he walked over to the man with his arms out and clasped the man on his shoulders, "It's good to see you again, old friend! Tell me, how has life treated you recently?"

"Far too well, if I must be honest," the old man smiled at Lyn's grandfather as he took hold of her grandfather's shoulders as well, "I've been blessed with brilliant grandchildren and a booming country. What else could I ask for?"

"I'd daresay a good drink and pleasant company, but why ask for it when I have it?" Lyn's grandfather asked as he laughed.

"Oh, yes, those things are the only reason I bother dragging my old bones over here anymore," the old man sighed as he rolled his eyes at her grandfather. The man seemed a little rude to Lyn, but her grandfather seemed to be taking it in stride. Her father also had conversations like these with other men from the tribe, but Lyn could only remember those kinds of happenings fleetingly. "Now, I have a reason for coming here, as you are well aware… Ah! Look at that, my grandson can read the mood!"

The young boy that was clinging to the old man's leg removed himself and presented himself to Lyn's grandfather. "Hello, marquess Caelin," the boy greeted her grandfather as he knelt before him and bowed his head, "I am the oldest grandson of the marquess of Araphen. My name is Michael and I hope for the continued prosperity and friendship between our two territories."

"Oh ho!" Lyn's grandfather laughed to himself as he nodded in understanding as the boy picked himself up, "That's an incredible greeting for one of your age. I daresay that Mark was right when he said he was blessed with brilliant grandchildren. Tell me, my good lad, what captures your interests at present?"

"Reading and discovering more about the world around me, milord," the boy answered Lyn's grandfather with a neutral expression. There was a certain rigidness in his speech and expressions that Lyn couldn't stop from noticing. He obviously didn't want to be here anymore than Lyn did, but he still came and didn't seem to put up any kind of fuss.

"A young scholar!" Lyn's grandfather smiled as his eyes beamed, "Well, let me tell you, during your stay you are allowed to make use of our library as if it were your own."

That got the boy's attention as his face lit up, "Truly? Thank you, milord! You are too kind!" He bowed again several times in gratitude.

"There's a smile!" the old man laughed as he saw his grandson smile, "However… You know the deal, right? Fun time later, business first."

The boy looked up to his grandfather and nodded in understanding, "I understand. However, I must properly convey my thanks to milord for his kindness and generosity. Isn't that proper manner, grandfather?"

"Seems even your brilliant grandson can give you trouble…" Lyn's grandfather chuckled, "At least I'm not the only one… Lyndis! Could you please come over here and introduce yourself to these fine gentlemen?!"

Now was the moment Lyn was dreading. It happened almost every time Lyn was at Caelin. Her grandfather would parade her around who know how man nobles and brag to his heart's content. She knew he was merely gloating as a grandparent should, her parents had told her as much, but it was trying for Lyn to always be so calm and collected in a castle while she could be wild and free outside in Sacae. Nevertheless, Lyn jumped out of the throne and skipped over to her grandfather.

"Yes, grandfather?" Lyn asked sweetly as she took her grandfather's hand, "Did you need me?"

"Would you please introduce yourself to these gentlemen?" her grandfather repeated herself.

Lyn nodded as she looked towards the man and the boy and gave them the biggest smile she could muster, "Hello, my name is Lyndis. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I thank you for taking the time to visit here despite the great distance."

Those were lines her mother had beaten into her that she had adjusted to suit her more while still keeping it sounding formal. It had even been given her father's seal of approval so for all intents and purposes, it was perfect.

"Hello to you as well, Lyndis," the old man smiled at her, "That was a nice greeting. I've heard much about you from your grandfather. He adores you, you know?"

Lyn smiled as he spoke. It seemed her greeting had satisfied him. Just like all the others.

"Hello as well…" the boy responded to her as he awkwardly looked at his feet.

Hm? What was this?

Usually people couldn't…or well… wouldn't keep their eyes off her when she smiled and introduced herself like that. But this kid didn't even so much as keep eye contact for more than a few seconds. Strange.

"I'm sorry," The old man apologized as he scratched the back of his head, "My grandson is a tad on the shy side. Plus, some little incident a while ago has made him quick to go into his shell."

"No need to apologize, my old friend," Lyn's grandfather shook his head, "We've all been shy as children as one time or another. All part of growing up."

"Really?" Lyn asked her grandfather as she looked up at him, "But the kids in Sacae are never shy!"

Her grandfather a somewhat serious look to get her to quiet down, but for the most part, he just laughed it off, "Well, everyone is raised together as family in Sacae. That must have something to do with it."

The boy looked away as he grumbled something underneath his breath, "…Already going downhill…"

"Downhill?" Lyn repeated to herself, "Ah, I know!" she declared as she grabbed the boy's hand, "There's a hill not too far from here with a pretty view! Come on, follow me!"

W-Wait!" the boy tried to fight back in vain as Lyn simply pulled him away. He looked back towards her grandfather and his own grandfather with a panicked expression, "H-Help! Grandfather?!"

The two marquesses chuckled to themselves as they watched Lyn drag Michael away. Once they had gone out of view, the marquess of Caelin looked to his old friend mark and said, "So it's begun. Do you think it'll work?"

"Oh, without a doubt," the marquess of Araphen smiled confidently, "After all, they are OUR grandchildren, Hausen. I see nothing but success in my eyes."

"Are you sure you aren't just blinded by your won desire?" Hausen asked with a chuckle.

"Nonsense!" the marquess of Araphen huffed, "So…how about that wine you told me about?"

"Straight to the point, as usual," Hausen smiled as he began to lead the two to the wine cellar.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>To be continued in part 2...


	4. Chapter 4: What If - A Kiss on the Cheek

**Author's Notes: **Hey, guys, figured a 4th of July update wouldn't be too bad an idea while I'm by myself (family's at a wedding in Aruba). Since I'm not working of Rekka No Ken right now, I figured I'd work on the side Fanfic while putting time into DQ. So, for those that liked these, while Rekka No Ken is on hiatus, I'll be working on both this one and Side Stories again! Yay! ...Right?

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><p>What If: A Kiss on the Cheek<p>

"Stop pulling me!" Michael urged Lyn as she continued to guide him along to where ever she was taking them.

"I wouldn't have to pull you if you just walked with me!" Lyn insisted as she continued to drag him along, though she had a strained expression on her face.

"And I don't want to walk to where ever you're trying to take me!" Michael concluded,

"So just stop already!"

"Alright..." Lyn sighed in defeat as she let go of Michael's arm. This surprised him, as he didn't expect her to cease after the first twelve times they had engaged in this argument.

"So what if I carry you?" Lyn fired back as she turned to him, "You won't complain then, right?!"

Michael's hand smashed into his face with the force of an Elfire tome. This little girl just didn't know when to quit! Michael could feel his will to resist her draining away with each passing second. A war of attrition he would lose. "... Fine..." he finally relented,

"You win..."

Lyn's face brightened up the moment those words escaped his lips and sealed his fate. For the next several days of their stay, Michael was the constant tag along to Lyn. It didn't take long for the twosome's grandfather's to begin calling them husband and wife during mealtimes. While Lyn, in her youth, still took it as a joke, Michael, who had a different upbringing, knew full well after the first incident what they're plan was, and very well may have been all along.

"We're children!" he cried out after one too many jabs, "And you, grandfather! You lied to me!"

Such a comment struck his grandfather hard, reducing him to a puddle of mush and grey hair for countless minutes before Michael worked his way over to him and apologized, restoring the Marquess to his former glorious state of being.

But of course, all things, good, bad, or ordinary, must come to and end eventually. And the day where both Michael and his grandfather departed back to Araphen, and the day when Lyn was escorted back to Sacae with her father arrived.

"Aaawwww..." Lyn pouted as the two finished breakfast on the final day of the trip, "I didn't even get to have that much fun though..."

"I truly admire your innocence..." Michael muttered as he recounted all the looks and comments his grandfather and Lyn's had given the two at every opportunity. Though he did have to admit, it was fun to play with someone closer to his age than his younger sister, and someone who didn't know if his... origins to boot. But still, for Lyn to be so more accustomed to the plains of Sacae did make Michael curious about what really was so good about them...

"Hey, Lyn?" Michael began to ask as he pushed away his empty plate, "What do you do in Sacae that's so fun?"

Lyn's face brightened up at the mere mention of her homeland, "It's the best! You get to go horseback riding, hunt, fish, watch the stars, swim in the rivers, run in the grass, climb trees in the forests, use a bow, swings swords, use magic, talk with birds, and get to use grass whistles!"

Michael was overloaded with the amazing amount of activities Lyn had recounted simply off handily with barely a pause for breath at all. Even Michael had to admit the sheer amount of enthusiasm in her voice had managed to infect him as well. "That sounds really fun, actually!" Michael told her with stars in his eyes.

"Maybe your Mom and Dad can let you come over there next time so we can play?" Lyn asked hopefully. Sure, Michael wasn't anything like the children in Sacae, but at the very least, he was a new friend to play with and someone she could share the beauty of the plains with.

"I'm... Not so sure that would work..." Michael sighed to himself. 'But maybe if I do that... Yeah! That can work!'

Lyn could only raise an eyebrow in curiosity as Michael chuckled to himself as he stared at the tablecloth.

"And there goes the last bag..." The Marquess of Araphen sighed as a solider gently placed the final piece of luggage into their cart. He looked over to his grandson with a pleasant smile and asked, "Well, Michael, we are about to leave. Did you have fun here?"

Michael gave him a knowing smirk as he deduced the true intent behind his words, regardless of whether or not he was speaking at face value or with a hidden meaning. "Yes, Grandfather, I enjoyed myself."

"That's good then," the Marquess agreed as he assisted his grandson into the carriage.

"I'm glad you were able to enjoy yourself, young man," Marquess Caelin nodded as he put his hands on Lyn's shoulders, the two seeing them off. "I hope you are able to attend more often, if not to be company for my Lyndis here."

"Grandfather!" Lyn chimed in with annoyance, "Don't say things like that! It makes me sound lonely!"

"One is never without enough friends, my dear," the Marquess was quick to counter, "Besides, you'd rather play with my counselors instead of young Michael?"

"No!" Lyn sighed as she puffed her cheeks in defiance.

"Books are better," Michael told her from his seat as he stood up, "But I'll be sure to come again, okay? So you'd better be here when I am!"

"We'll see!" Lyn laughed at him, "I may be having too much fun in the plains to come back here for a while!"

Michael frowned a bit in response.

"Hm?" Lyn cocked her head as she noticed his frown, "Why are you frowning?"

"Lyndis, my dear…" Marquess Caelin sighed as he bent down to whisper something into his ear.

"Really, Grandfather?" Lyn asked him as he pulled away from her, her large eyes looking at him imploringly.

"It's true," the Marquess nodded, "Your Grandmother always cheered up your mother with one when she was your age."

"OK!" Lyn smiled as she began to walk over to Michael.

This time it was Michael's turn to say "Hm?" as Lyn walked over and motioned for him to lean down closer to her. His grandfather and Marquess Caelin both looked on at the scene with batted breath.

"Muah!" Lyn laughed as she planted a kiss right on Michael's left cheek. The youngster turned red and covered his cheek with his hand as he took an embarrassed step back, looking at Lyn with an expression of complete bewilderment.

"W-What...?!" Michael stuttered out, "Why did you do that?"

"Because my Grandfather said it would make you happy!" Lyn smiled at him, "Did that not work?" Her smile quickly turned into a frown. Bless her innocent little mind.

"Oh, it made him happy, alright!" The Marquess of Araphen snickered through his hand to keep himself from laughing outright, "You certainly cheered him up, my dear…!"

Lyn looked on to the three in slight confusion before deciding to ignore whatever joke they were sharing as she looked up to her grandfather one last time, "Grandfather, can I show Michael one last thing before he goes?"

"Why don't you ask his grandfather and not me?" he suggested.

"Certainly!" Marquess Araphen answered without waiting for Lyn to ask again, "I'll just take a nap in the carriage while I wait for him to return."

"You'd best be fast now," Marquess Caelin warned Lyn though, "Your father will be here to pick you up soon as well!"

"I know!" Lyn said as she puffed out her cheeks once again.

"Do you want to show mw that tree again?" Michael asked as he took his hand off his cheek.

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><p>The Marquess snored loudly in his sleep as the carriage traveled on the road home. Some shaking from rocks and the like roused the Marquess from his nap and he looked around with barely open eyes before going back to sleep. After waking up a few hours later, the Marquess soon found that little Michael was nowhere to be seen. "Oh no…!" he gasped as his eyes widened to the size of the wheels on the carriage, "Michael's gone! Gabriel will kill me!"<p>

Of course, this begged the question of where Michael actually was if he wasn't with his grandfather. Well, after leaving Lyn after she showed him her favorite spot on the hill once more, he secretly told the driver for his grandfather's carriage to begin departure, got into the carriage, and then jumped off quietly as they left the castle gates. Then, while being very careful not to get caught, hid amongst the supplies in the cart prepared for Hassar when he came to pick up Lyn.

It wasn't until a night or two later when Michael pulled the tarp he had hidden under and surprised both Lyn and her father.

"What?!" Hassar exclaimed as he jumped to his feet out of instinct, only to ease himself once he saw Michael's little form properly, "Oh, it's only a child…"

"Michael?" Lyn asked, "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be on your way back home?"

"I wanted to see Sacae!" Michael told her with a smile.

"Yay!" Lyn cheered as she jumped for joy.

"Oh boy…" Hassar sighed as he smacked his forehead with an open palm, "This is going to be an inter-territorial incident at best, international incident at worst…"

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>A shorter chapter than usual, but since its the 4th, I figured I'd give you guys something short with the festivities and all. The next chapter will hopefully be longer than the other to compensate.


	5. Chapter 5: What If - A Little Talk

**Author's Notes: **WHAT?! Another update so soon?! GameFreak, what's gotten into you!

OK, enough joking at my update schedule being bonkers lately, this chapter originally was only going to be a little scene, but it evolved into its own little beast. I hope you guys like it! Next chapter will move us to Caelin and some development will happen for both Michael and Lyn!

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><p>What If: A Little Talk<p>

Hassar hadn't slept a wink last night. Part of it was just his natural instincts keeping him on edge, the other part was the little problem of the future heir to the throne of Araphen had managed to stow away in his caravan and stay successfully hidden long enough for it to prove unfeasible to simply go back to Caelin and drop him off to be picked up by a servant to be delivered back home. All those people back in Caelin working in the castle and they couldn't find one stowaway boy before it was too late? Well, he didn't really have any room to talk, since he himself hadn't noticed Michael back during the beginning of their journey back home to Sacae.

However… Hassar did notice his daughter's elevating spirits once he had revealed himself to them. He just couldn't bring himself to start scolding the boy when Lyn jumped up in joy and began talking up a storm that even Hassar rarely saw from her back home. Was she always this talkative when among the rest of the tribe?

The morning sun had long since risen after Hassar had awoken himself, though he wished he could still be asleep himself, if only to actually rest in some form. However, as he stoked the campfire he made in a hurry, his desire to be punctual in his return, lest his wife being to worry needlessly like she often did, spurned him to keep conscious.

"Mmmmggghhh….!" a voice could be heard as Hassar carefully scanned over to where the two children had been sleeping. The young boy Lyndis had been calling Michael was the first to wake up it seemed. Marquess Hausen always did dote on Lyndis in way Hassar always thought as needlessly codling. What was the use in letting a child who spent a majority of her life as a nomad on the plains sleep in until past the morning sun's rising? Well, Hassar could empathize with his desire to treat Lyndis as the jewel she was, but he had a limit…

"Good morning, Sir," Michael greeted Hassar as he rubbed some crust from his eye as he walked over to sit next to Hassar.

'_Without fear, this one,' _Hassar chuckled to himself as he carefully eyed the boy again. "It seems you slept well, what from the color in your face."

"Indeed I did, Sir," Michael responded with an affirmative nod. Michael knew far too well of the ramifications of his little stunt to act all kiddie around Hassar and try to pass off his flight of fancy as a childish whim. If his grandfather had spoken such high praise with Marquess Caelin, then surely Lyn's father must have heard something as well. "I'm surprised you didn't turn around to head back to Caelin the moment I revealed myself."

"Oh?" Hassar said as his left eyebrow arched in interest to Michael's statement, "What if I'm merely turning us around as soon as we finish breakfast? You did jump out once we were stopped for the night, after all."

"If we were to go back, you wouldn't have bothered to start a campfire," Michael pointed out as he began to dissect Hassar's claim, "Travel times are often made on assumptions. However, on regular trips, a person can gain a greater understanding of the road's he or she is traveling on and make adjustments on later visits. With those adjustments however, emerges a flaw. Namely, the supplies that are brought along are made to last only within that carefully studied timeframe. You'd have to restock again in Caelin. I'm sure that would take a day as well as for the fact that worry from your family would increase."

Hassar's eyebrow only arched more as he heard the child speak. Obviously, the hot air his father-in-law had spewed about the Marquess of Araphen's grandson being quite intelligent for his age wasn't just fabrication. "And how would a child like you think of such reasons for me to not bring you back, huh?" Hassar asked him, mostly out of curiosity for what the young boy would say next.

"Because Lyn told me as much last night," Michael replied back to him honestly as he pointed over to the still sleeping girl.

Hassar clicked his tongue as he looked away slightly, "This is true…" Though he didn't exactly know if his daughter had told him that.

"… Aren't you going to doubt my words more?" Michael asked curiously at Hassar's seemingly trusting acceptance.

"Why wouldn't I?" Hassar shot back with a smirk, "From my point of view, you're only a child, an intelligent one maybe, but a child nonetheless. You haven't yet begun mastering the subtleties of the political games the nobles are so quick to partake in. Besides, in Sacae, we have a saying that the eyes are a window to the soul."

"Window to the soul?" Michael repeated in wonder.

"Yes," Hassar nodded, "A clear and honest soul is easy to see in one's eyes. Especially if you keep eye contact."

"…Sacae seems weird…" Michael sighed in confusion.

"It's actually quite the wonderful place," Hassar said with a twinge of annoyance. He had to be sure to keep his temper in check since it was a child born and raised in Lycia, away from the comforts and lifestyle of the plains. "Though I'm sure my little Lyndis spun many a yarn about it if you just had to stowaway to see it for yourself."

"I won't deny that my decision was also partially based on getting back at my grandfather for earlier in the trip…" Michael hesitated to say as he twiddled his thumbs.

"Hm?" Hassar perked up at the mention of the boy's grandfather, "What was that? Something about your grandfather?"

"Both my grandfather and the Marquess of Caelin thought they'd begin the framework for Lyn and I marrying when we're older. Lyn was never the wiser, but I picked up on it pretty quickly."

Hassar had to suddenly suppress an unshakable urge to strangle the boy and leave his corpse somewhere very far away in a forest or stream for several seconds before he could regain control of his thoughts. Luckily, he was able to keep any of these sudden murderous thoughts from creeping into his expression. "…And what did you think of such an arrangement?" he asked. He would be sure to have a very long conversation with his father-in-law next time they met.

Michael gave Lyn's father a tired and annoyed looked, "I think the idea in and of itself is ridiculous. First of all, we're children. Secondly, I'm sure there are far better prospects for Lyn in the future than myself. Third, well, I just want a friend."

"So why stowaway during her return home?" Hassar asked once again, though now he had a better idea for the boy's true motivation, even if the boy didn't know it himself, "Surely one as smart as you, would realize that by doing something like this you'd be agreeing to their plan. After all, going to such lengths for one you just met could tell many people something you'd rather they not know."

Michael gave Hassar a shocked look for a moment as he took the time to digest the meaning Hassar was conveying to him. As soon as the magnitude of the revelation Hassar had delivered to him was realized, Michael immediately began to wave his hands around in the air in a worried manner, "I swear I didn't know! I can't believe I didn't think about it myself! I'm such an idiot!"

Hassar gave a tired sigh, but he also couldn't help but laugh as well. This young boy, regardless of his intellect, was still a child in many obvious ways it seemed. With that came an innocence that he hadn't shed yet. "Be at ease. You are still quite young, so not many people would immediately reach for such a conclusion. If anything, they'd assume Lyndis dragged you along with her. However… I wonder, how many friends do you have back at home, if you don't mind my asking, young one?

"I… don't have any friends…" Michael replied quietly after a moment, "I have a younger sister though, but it's not the same. So… as my first friend, I want to know more about Lyn!" There was a fire in his eyes that hadn't been present when he had first started conversing with Hassar.

Hassar smiled to himself as he reevaluated the boy. "If I can offer one word of advice; don't go throwing yourself so quickly before you have a chance to understand it at a basic level first. Sure, you may think many romantic thoughts because of what my daughter has told you, but reality is much less romantic than tall tales."

Michael was about to answer him when a pair of arms flung over his neck and a mass slammed into his back. "But Daddy, I only told him the truth, honest! People from Sacae NEVER lie!" Truth be told, Lyn had woken up a few minutes ago, but she had kept to her herself to listen in on her father and Michael's conversation. She had gotten lost at some points, but she had managed to grasp the general understanding of what they were speaking about.

"Ah, Lyndis," Hassar stated plainly with little to no surprise, "Finally up and about. I take it you heard a little about what we were discussing? Would you like to add anything before we enjoy breakfast?"

Lyn scrunched her face up in thought as Michael tried to push himself back up with her weight on him, "Hmmm… Well, I know I'll be Michael's friend as long as he wants! And, and I think it's REALLY nice of him to want to see Sacae so much! I'll tell him all he wants to know about me and the plains!"

Michael had fight to suppress a burning sensation creeping up his face, "Ok…"

Hassar sighed once again for what felt like the hundredth time. Such innocence from the both of them, though both in their own ways. But still, Hassar couldn't help but raise his metaphorical glass into the air in hopes that the two would have an invaluable friendship spring forth from the gradually growing bud that he was watching right in front of him. Tough, he would be lying to himself if he couldn't see the possibility of romance in the future for the two. Of course, whether he would support the two of not if that ever came about would be on the true worth of the boy's character as well as the strength of his devotion. Time would tell in the end, and they all still had a lot of it.

"And Daddy?" Lyn looked up to her father.

"Yes, Lyndis?" Hassar asked, as he leaned slightly closer to her.

"His name is Michael, not Little One!" Lyn told him as she puffed up her cheeks, "And Michael, he's not Sir, but Daddy!"

"Huh?" both Hassar and Michael spoke in unison. Surely she didn't…? No, it was an impossibility. If it was simply a matter of Hassar calling the boy by his name, it would be a simple matter to fix, why even the boy could have corrected him earlier. However, for the boy to switch from referring to him as a respectful sir to using a familiar term like "Daddy" was… well, far too awkward and embarrassing for the both of them.

"Now Lyndis…" Hassar began to hurriedly explain to his daughter, "I'll gladly call your friend by his proper name, but he shouldn't go around calling me Daddy, especially in front of strangers. They'll get the wrong idea and rumors will spread…"

"But that's what you are!" Lyn argued back to him. Where did she get this feisty attitude? Not from Hassar, most certainly! Definitely her mother… "If you're a Daddy, you should be called a Daddy! Just like how Grandfather is Grandfather!"

Hassar began trying to explain in greater detail why Lyn shouldn't be telling Michael to refer to her father as Daddy, with even the boy himself adding in to support him, but Lyn held through until neither of the two could really argue against her anymore, even if they had legitimate reasons for why referring to Hassar with such a term would be bad. Truly, they were both slaves to her will.

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><p>"Oh dear, oh my…" the Marquess of Araphen sighed to himself as he feverously tapped his foot in his carriage as he awaited their return to Caelin. Of all the things to fall asleep so early in the day, but to lose his grandson as well?! Truly, this was a hallmark example of negligence.<p>

But Hausen was there to look after Michael until he came back to retrieve him! As long as the boy had a library with even a single book he hadn't seen yet, he could be entertained for hours simply reading it from cover to cover. Of course, he would be slightly miffed as his grandfather for leaving without him, but with some proper time to let his anger cool, the Marquess was sure they'd be able to avoid his mother finding out and tearing the Marquess into dozens of pieces.

If only the Marquess's hopes were that easily restored. Reality didn't seem intent on letting him off easily, as when he returned to Caelin and rushed to meet with Hausen he was met with nothing but confusion about his grandson's disappearance. The Marquess almost broke down right then and there before Hausen pointed out that it was quite possible that Michael had decided to travel with Hassar and Lyn back to the plains of Sacae.

"Relax and compose yourself first, my friend," Hausen eased the Marquess of Araphen as he assisted him into a nearby chair, "Your grandson is a smart lad and my son-in-law is quite reasonable. I'm sure he's on his way here to deposit young Michael back into your hands as we speak!"

"But what if he isn't?!" the Marquess asked, "What if they just decide to keep on going anyway?!"

"Then we simply send a letter back to your home explaining the events to your son and daughter-in-law before things devolve too quickly, eh?" Hausen pointed out to him.

"You don't know Gabriel the way my son and I know her," the Marquess warned his friend with a horrified expression, "She'd turn into a fierce demon straight out of Hell itself if something even akin to bad happened to my grandson! Why, I'll cease to be alive once she's done with me! Bringing small army with her to Sacae to track Michael down isn't outside the realms of possibility with her!"

"Then you're quite well bollocksed aren't you?" Hausen said with a shrug.


End file.
